MILITARY NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1102, 15 April 1911, Page 9

MILITARY NOTES.

' f—; — ' ■ [Edited By Echelon.] BRITISH ARMY AIR CORPS. THE NEW POINTED BULLET. A 15-inch gun is, according to Use "Morning Post," one of the possibilities of the near future. TJiis formidable weapon, which is at present in the expenmenfal stage, is known as "the 13-SA-" gun. It is designed to superficde the lain, and the later 13.0 m. Runs on "capital" battleships. Another rumoured artillery development of tho "ear future is a Sin. gun on the Maxim principle, firing 3in. shells which arc fcl "'.to the- magazine from a band Its extreme rapidity of fire, is said to bo allied with great accuracy. Such a gun would bo of incalculable service in tho secondary" battery of a battleship for resisting torpedo-boat attack

. During the course of a recent debate .n he. Reichstag on the Genu" ~ A ,* ™" t «'. al AVandcl, Din -enlvV ° Mar .Apartment, elated, '* t0 ». I«e«t.oii, that some years 3KO hung experiments were carried on «f tl < "■ on r"' I,sos lvilh lilc objecb ■mX™ T 8 **e ijcnotraliiiß powe of model n nilos. These experiments, "bieb, moreover, were made on anato mical exnlnts, llot O n naked corpses were, said Major-General Wande c.t' scnlialin the interests of army s»,t cry. None of the soldiers who were shooting saw anything o f the exhibits, UiehMvere wrapped in linen or hidden behind linen. The experiments were necessary.in the cause of humanitv, and the same point of view was taken by ..speakers of tile non-Socialist parties. ■Hie. (socialists severely criticised the experiments, on the assumption, that (hev were, undertaken with the object of accustoming soldiers to firing.at men ' an assertion which was denied by tho Government.. J

Hie new pointed bullet with which experiments have been made for some' considerable time past,' is now being manufactured, but no issues will be made until a sufficient stock has bceii ; aceumu total. Although the present 6oryice rifle-is too weak in the breech to taky a really perfect pointed cartmlfie, tho-Wiir Office, says the London. Junes," appears to have arrived at a compromise which may bo regarded as a. distinct advance upon the present .service design of ammunition. The or-" llfinal anticipations, however, of a cartridge giving ~t SOI) yards, the minimum: trajectory ■ required for, military purposes have not yet been'fulfilled. I\i a, series of test of'the new Bullet' themean velocity observed at 90ft. was round to bo 2302 ft. per second, tho mean diflerencc being 2ft. per second. J.ho mean pressure of live rounds heated to l'Odcc;. Eahr. was 18.35 tons. Accu.rac.v diagrams taken from 20 rouiidn hred at GOD, 800, and 1001) yards, proved quite satisfactory. The trajectory, which over-a distance of 800 yards has a maximum height of Bft. '.lin., us against that of the German "Spitsse," which is 6ft. lOin. Tho ammunition, now m use- has a trajectory at its highest point over a distance.of SOO yards, of 13ft. B.3in. It is nearly always, above tho height of n. man. * To have got within 38iu. of the low trajectory or ..'the fast-living Spitze is very good; ai.(d, : in fact, it is withiiv Uin. of' the German ammunition whose-highest trajectory over 800 yards is just a trifle above the figure named,' being 6ft. ll:3in, at 4oU yards, .the,.extra inch and a fraction being added in. the 50 iyarrlii. flight from •100,' wh'fre the-"hul.' let , 'rides at 6ft. lOin;,' with the upward tendency still unchecked. Tho Spitzo bullet, in a course of 800 yards' flight flies higher than a man's height only. from. 300 yards to 600 yards,'so that in 800 yards it is travelling ,tt hitting distance after covering 60ft; yards, which" is a sufficient -testimony , to the ammunition.

It has come—the battalion in tho air, Tho following important Army .Order dealing with th<? constitution of Hie new corps which will-'-havo in lian'd--' matters of Army Aeronautics, was issued from the NYar Office, recently; ; With a view to meeting Army: requirements consequent on "recent de-' ' vclopmcnts in aerial science, it has i, heen decided to organise an Air Battalion, to which will'bo entrusted tht> duty of creating a body of expert airmen, organised in such a way as to facilitate the formation'of units ready to take tho field with troops, and capable of expansion by any reserve formations which may be formed in the. future. In addition, tho training and instruction of men in handling kites, balloons, aeroplanes, and other forms of ail' craft will also devolve upon this battalion. The establishment of, this .. battalion will be organised into "-(I),Headquarters, and (2) two .companies.' ',-. .Tlifc ,, personnel, of the. headquarters will, : ;. in addition to the usual administrative ' duties, be available to form the.nucleus from which tho two companies can oh-V tain additional officers, warrant officers, non-commissioned officers,' and men as ' required. Each company will bo organised as a separate and self-contained unit. The officers will bo selected from applicants from any regular am or branch of tho service on the active list. Air applicant must be recommended by his commanding officer and ho certified as .medically fit for the work. It is not considered necessary to lay ' down definite rules, except as regards Uie minimum length of service, but. lh« following qualifications will bo taken into consideration when selecting offi- • cers: — ■ ~ (a) Special recommendation by com* inanding officer. ' ; (h) Possession of aviator's certificate. • (e) Previous experience in aeronautics. ' ' (d) Hank not above that of captain.(e) Medical fitness for air work. . (f) Good eyesight. (g) Good map-reader, nnd field - sketeher. , , ■ ■ ■ . (h) Unmarried. (i) Not less than two years' service* (j) Under 30 years of age. (k) Good sailor. (1) Knowledge of foreign languages, (m) Taste, for mechanics, (n) Light weight (under 11' stone 7, Hi.)'.

An application for appointment to the Air .Battalion will bo submitted to the. War Oflice through the. usual military, channels. A selected candidate will, oil' joining the Air Battalion, go through a six- months' probationary course (including twn months' kiting and ballooning), and, if during this period \w. shows mi -imtitudn for the work, he .will rejoin his unit. An oflicer who satisfactorily completes the probationary period will bo appointed to the Air Balloon for a period of four years (inclusive of'the period'of probation) and will ho. seconded. Although the appointment to Ilic Air Battalion will normally be for the above-mentioned period of four years, an officer may at any lime, bo permitted to resign his appointment with the battalion. An oflicer, other than an ollicev of the Hoynl Kni;ineers, who is selected for the Air Battalion will draw pay under Article 187 of tho Pay Warrant, from (lie date of his first appointment to Hie bntlnlion. Tim warrant' officers,' non-commissioned officers, and men will be selected from tho Corps of Royal V.nginoors. The existing Balloon School will be superseded by the Air Battalion, and (he new organisation will bo rep;arded as lakins 1 effect from April 1, 1911. ' : "

/The■ peace■ establishment of (be. .bat-talion-..wi1l consist.of- fourteen officer's, one warrant officer, and 173 other ranks, with 36 horses—4 riding aud 32 draught.